New York Bill Explanation of Terms

How Bills are Determined

Electricity is measured and priced in kilowatt-hours (kWh). You are billed according to the number of kilowatt-hours you use as measured by your electric meter.

When you pay for a kWh of electricity, you are buying 1,000 watts of electricity used continuously for one hour. As an example, one kWh is the amount of electricity a 100-watt light bulb will use in ten hours.

Bill Due Dates

Your electric bill is due on or before the due date. To avoid late payment charges, pay your bill on or before the due date shown on your bill.

Late Payment

Unfortunately, at times customers might be late in paying their electric bills. When this happens, we urge our customers to contact us to avoid a disconnection of electric service. We consider disconnecting electric service for nonpayment a last resort and would rather work out payment arrangements.

If you need to speak to a Cutomer Service Representative regarding a late payment, please contact us.

Why Bills are Estimated

Our meter readers have assigned routes and schedules. At times, severe weather conditions or other unforeseen problems might keep them from reading all the meters on their routes. When this happens, we estimate your electricity usage during that billing period based on your previous electric bills. Any difference between your estimated usage and actual usage is automatically adjusted the next time your meter is read.

Your bill may be estimated if a dog on or near your property was blocking the meter reader's path to your electric meter. To help ensure their safety, meter readers will not attempt to read an electric meter if there is a dog in the vicinity of the meter. We ask your cooperation in keeping your dog leashed or confined to prevent our employees from being exposed to unnecessary risk.

You can avoid estimated bills by submitting your meter reading online. Or, if you would rather submit a meter reading card by mail, contact us to request the appropriate form.

Bill Terms

  • Customer Charge  – Monthly charge that offsets costs for billing, meter reading, equipment, and service line maintenance
  • Distribution Charge –  Charges for Universal Service Program costs and for the use of local wires, transformers, substations and other equipment used to deliver electricity to consumers from high-voltage transmission lines.
  • Estimated Reading – On the months we do not read a meter, we calculate the bill based on past electrical usage.
  • Generation Charge – Charge for the production of electricity.
  • KWH (Kilowatt Hour) – A unit of measure for electricity usage equal to 1,000 watts used for one hour.
  • Late Payment Charge – A charge added to the bill on balances owed after the Due Date.
  • Prorated Bill – If this is on your bill, the current billing period is less than 26 days or more than 35 days or a rate change occurred during the current billing period.
  • Service Charge - Charge for opening an account.
  • Tax Surcharges – Your bill includes the Utility Gross Revenue Tax, the State Income Tax, and if applicable a Municipal Tax.  If you pay State Sales Tax, you will see it as a separate line item on your bill.
  • Transmission Charge – Charges for moving high voltage electricity from a generation facility to our distribution lines.